Sri Lanka. Perpetual underdogs. Perpetual over-achievers. They have never entered a World Cup as title favorites. They have never entered a World Cup with the best batting or the best bowling line-ups. Their run-ups to most World Cups isn't smooth either.

‘Precocious’. Prodigy. Words used for unbound talent surprisingly beyond age, beyond the age one is born into. Then there are players like AB de Villiers whose abilities push even the definitions of such words.

Tillakaratne Dilshan marked his 300th ODI with a century and Mahela Jayawardene waved farewell to Sri Lanka with a wicket as Sri Lanka thrashed England by 87 runs in the seventh and final game in Colombo.

Mahela Jayawardene signed off from Test cricket with his 50th half-century before Sri Lanka reduced Pakistan to 127 for seven in pursuit of a target of 271 on day four of the second and final Test in Colombo.